Marion County deputies flipped the script on a high-tech hustle this week, arresting a would-be scammer who thought he was about to cash in on an elderly victim’s savings.
It started September 16, when a pop-up on the victim’s iPad urged him to call a number to “verify” his account. On the other end was a woman calling herself “Sydney,” spinning a story that hackers were circling his bank account. To “protect” his information, she instructed him to buy $4,000 in gift cards and mail them away. She even followed up with counterfeit paperwork to make the scheme look official.
When that wasn’t enough, “Sydney” raised the stakes. She told the victim to box up $15,000 in cash with duct tape for pickup by an “agent.” Instead of sealing the deal, the victim called the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. Detectives staked out the home, and when Jiang Jingcai, 41, showed up expecting a payday, he was met with handcuffs instead.
Jingcai is now sitting in the Marion County Jail without bond, facing fraud charges enhanced because the victim is over 65, along with unlawful use of a communication device to facilitate the crime.
Deputies say it’s a reminder that if someone’s asking for gift cards or taped-up cash boxes, the safest number to call is theirs.
